The Victorian government has begun work on a $19.5 million incident control centre in the state’s east, to enhance its response to bushfires and other emergencies.

The facility at Cann River, near the NSW border, will replace an existing centre and is expected to be operational before next summer.

It will feature expanded depot sheds, upgraded infrastructure and capacity to accommodate up to 80 emergency management personnel.

Forest Fire Management Victoria will run the site, which will also host the operations of Parks Victoria, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and emergency services.

“Cann River is a critically important location for bushfire response across East Gippsland and southern NSW.” Victorian Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said.

“We are giving Forest Fire Management Victoria the resources to prepare and respond to bushfires to protect local communities and environment.”